7 nationalities make up 90% of foreigners in Kuwait

Manama: Seven nationalities make up more than 90 per cent of the foreigners living in Kuwait, official figures indicate.

The 2.276,193 foreigners who live in the northern Arabian Gulf country come from more than 120 countries from across the world, but Indians form the largest community with 895,348, Kuwaiti daily Al Shahed reported.

Egyptians make up the largest Arab community and are second overall behind the Indians with 586,387 people, followed by Filipinos with 241,268, Bangladeshis with 198,151 and Syrians 145,328, the daily said.

The Pakistani community is the sixth largest with 109,853 members and the Sri Lankan is seventh with 99,858.

The figures include the expatriates who have jobs in the public sector or in private companies or relatives staying with their families.

However, the report added the numbers did not include those who were staying in the country illegally following the expiry of their residency permits.

According to the report, the Jordanian Palestinian community is among the largest within the remaining 10 per cent of the expatriate population. The community reached its peak in the late 1980s when it numbered around 500,000. However, its number dramatically dropped following the invasion of Kuwait in August 1990 by the Iraqi army of former President Saddam Husain and the subsequent Gulf War.

Foreigners make up around two-third of the total population of Kuwait and several officials have been calling for reducing the number of expatriates to help reestablish the “demographic balance” of the country.